Dr. Benjamin Bassichis, who practices in Dallas, TX, is a medical specialist in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat). Dr. Bassichis's average patient rating is 5.0 stars out of 5. His areas of expertise include eyelid surgery, dermabrasion, and botox injection. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Texas Health Dallas, Texas Health Plano, and Medical City Plano. Dr. Bassichis takes Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Coventry, as well as other insurance carriers. He is accepting new patients. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and then he performed his residency at Parkland Health & Hospital System. Dr. Bassichis has received the following distinction: Texas Super Doctors.

Dr. George Toledo is a plastic surgeon. Areas of expertise for Dr. Toledo include eyelid surgery, breast reconstruction revision, and dermabrasion. His patients gave him an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. Dr. Toledo honors several insurance carriers, including Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Aetna HSA. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. His training includes residency programs at Duke University Medical Center and a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Distinctions awarded to Dr. Toledo include: Texas Super Doctors; Top Ten Dallas; and SuperDocs 2015, Texas Monthly Magazine. He is conversant in Spanish. He is professionally affiliated with Texas Health Dallas.

Dr. Bryan Armijo is a plastic surgery specialist. Before completing his residency at the University Hospitals, Cleveland, Dr. Armijo attended medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. These areas are among his clinical interests: eyelid surgery, thigh lift (thighplasty), and tummy tuck revision. Patient ratings for Dr. Armijo average 5.0 stars out of 5. He takes Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, in addition to other insurance carriers. In addition to English, he speaks Spanish. Dr. Armijo is professionally affiliated with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Plano, Texas Health Rockwall, and Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery. New patients are welcome to contact his office for an appointment.

Dr. Nathan Gilbert is an orthopedic trauma, hand surgery, and adult orthopedic reconstructive surgery specialist. His areas of expertise include knee replacement, revision hip arthroplasty, and orthopedic surgery. Dr. Gilbert is professionally affiliated with Baylor Scott & White Health and Texas Health Dallas. He is a graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Gilbert trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas for his residency. Patients gave him an average rating of 3.0 stars out of 5. He takes Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and more. Dr. Gilbert has received the following distinctions: Texas Rising Stars and Texas Super Doctors. He has an open panel.

Dr. James English specializes in plastic surgery and practices in Plano, TX and Dallas, TX. He attended medical school at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas for residency. Dr. English's areas of expertise include eyelid surgery, thigh lift (thighplasty), and general reconstruction. He has a 5.0 out of 5 star average patient rating. Dr. English takes Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, in addition to other insurance carriers. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery, Lake Granbury Medical Center, and Texas Health Plano.

Dr. Daniel Witheiler is a mohs skin cancer surgeon in Dallas, TX. He is in-network for Aetna EPO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, in addition to other insurance carriers. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Witheiler has received professional recognition including the following: Texas Super Doctors.

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What is Flap Reconstruction?

Flap reconstruction is a surgical procedure in which healthy tissue is taken (or harvested) from one area of the body, called a donor site, and then transferred to a damaged area, or recipient site. The most common types of tissue used in flap reconstruction are skin, muscle, and a combination of skin and muscle, called musculocutaneous tissue. Flaps are like grafts in that they both involve harvesting and transferring tissue, but they differ in one important way. Flaps are placed onto the recipient site with their own blood supply, whereas grafts are not.

Flaps are used to reconstruct large or deep wounds, as well repair physical deformities. For example, some nasal defects can be corrected using forehead flaps. Another common procedure that uses flaps is breast reconstruction, which is surgery to restore the appearance of the breast after mastectomy (breast removal). The ability to use musculocutaneous tissue makes flaps ideal for this type of reconstructive surgery. In addition, the included blood supply in flaps brings needed oxygen and nutrients to the recipient site, promoting healing.

During flap surgery, an enormous amount of attention needs to be paid to the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries). To retain the flap’s blood supply, the surgeon might form a pedicle, which is a bridge of tissue and blood vessels that connects the flap to the site it originates from. The flap is connected to its blood supply through this pedicle. It is removed only after the surgical team has made sure that the flap has healed enough to survive without it. This type of flap is called a pedicled flap.

Blood vessels may also be detached from the flap when it is harvested, and then reattached at the new location. Since the flap is not pedicled to its donor site, it is referred to as a free flap. To be able to connect blood vessels with accuracy, surgeons must use very tiny tools and special microscopes. For this reason, this type of flap reconstruction is also often called microvascular flap surgery. One advantage of free or microvascular flaps is that they are ideal for repairing larger areas, like an extensive wound or defect on the leg.

Depending on how involved your flap reconstruction is, you may have to stay in the hospital for several days after the procedure. It may take six to eight weeks for the incisions to heal, and a year or more for the scars to fully fade.